Congrats to Nick Punto

Well one of many bad decisions or just the lack of a decision by Bill Smith resulted in former Twin Nick Punto receiving a World Series berth tonight. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4 games to 2 in the NLCS earning the right to play the Texas Rangers who beat the Detroit Tigers by the same margin in the ALCS. The Rangers are playing in the series for the 2nd consecutive year and 2nd time ever.

Former Twin Nick Punto signed with the Cardinals after being ignored and disrespected by Bill Smith and the Twins this past offseason. Nobody plays the game harder than Punto or with more passion. Defensively he is as solid as they get at several positions. He will never win a batting title, but there is more to baseball than hitting a bunch of singles as proven by our new king of the boo boo here in Minny.

Punto battled injuries this year but is a great character guy to have on your team, and will be a huge asset for the Cardinals in this series.

Congrats to both the Cardinals and Rangers and espescially to former Twin Nick Punto!!

Farewell Ozzie Guillen

Well, it appears what has seemed inevitable the last couple seasons has finally boiled over and become reality in the Windy City. The relationship between Chicago White Sox (formerly known as the St. Paul Saints) Manager Ozzie Guillen and GM Kenny Williams has been tenuous at best due to the outspoken style that Ozzie brings to the table. This past offseason the White Sox were very aggressive in free agency only to become also rans once again in the Central Division. As a result the deeply bruised relationship between Ozzie & Williams appears to have finally fractured beyond repair.

Multiple sources announced yesterday that Ozzie Guillen is done with the White Sox and will be moving on to the Florida, soon to be Miami, Marlins as the heir apparent to Jack McKeon who is retiring. This is not only a severe blow to the White Sox who Ozzie brought back to respectability and actually helped win a World Series, but it is a blow to baseball and the American League Central Division. Ozzie helped build competitive and respectful rivalries in the division more specifically with the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins frequently stymied the White Sox, even when on paper it seemed like the Sox had the better team. At one point he referred to the Twins small ball players as a bunch of Piranhas. This was not disrespectful but rather a compliment to their style of playing as a team and being relentless, never quitting.

Ozzie Guillen and his style will truly be missed in the AL Central with the game & rivalry diminished as a result. This will be a great opportunity for the soon to be Miami Marlins.

Thank you Ozzie for all you have done for baseball, the AL Central and the rivalries in this division. It won't be the same without you and neither will the White Sox. Their loss will be the greatest and I believe yours is the first of many dominos soon to fall in that organization. Good luck Ozzie!!

Twins 2011 Season Summed Up in 3 Words: FIRE BILL SMITH

I don't think there is a Twins fan out there that is not in some way dissapointed in the 2011 season. In fact there have been very few bright spots. Having said that I am every bit the Twins fan today I was on April 1, 2011, nothing can change that.

There have been numerous reasons for the downfall of the franchise this year. Every once in awhile things just catch up with you and this year bad luck has been running rampant. Firing AA Staff does not solve the problem.

I don't know the total games lost to injury this year but the number has to be astronomical. Just about every player on the 25 man roster and some on the 40 man have spent time on the DL, some with multiple trips and extensive time missed. This is led by Joe Mauer missing significant time due to Vaginal Rejuvenation Surgery (OK maybe not but keeps taking himself out for no apparent reason soooo.....leader or myth?)

More significant to me however is the bad moves, poorly timed moves, and/or lack of appropriate moves by GM Bill Smith. I can not legitimately think of a significant good move he has made that he has not undone by another bad or poorly timed move. The timing of every move he has made has been poor, the assets he has received have been less than poor, and he has released assets without attempting to get ANYTHING in return?

In just a couple short years he has already done significant damage to the franchise building efforts of Andy McPhail, Terry Ryan, Tom Kelly, and Ron Gardenhire. There was always a method to the madness in the previous 25 years, under Bill Smith it is just utter madness. I am not typically one to throw one particular person under the bus but it is time to FIRE Bill Smith before it is too late and more damage is done. Significant work needs to be done with the franchise before the start of the 2012 season and he is CLEARLY not the man for the job.

Many of the necessary pieces of the puzzle are in place for another run but they need serious help! Many of the young guys we have seen step up this year are ready to contribute. They will improve as well with a healthy and complete veteran roster around them.

Here are my initial thoughts on the roster as it stands today:

C: Mauer - Yeah I ripped him a little but he needs to be brought back down to earth, still best catcher in MLB.
C: Butera - Give the guy a break. Catchers usually dont hit for average & #2's even lower. Good defensive catcher and calls good game.

1B/DH: Morneau - No brainer but needs to stay healthy.
2B: Casilla - For now. Last chance. Needs to improve SIGNIFICANTLY.
SS: Plouffe - Despite the criticism is ready for the opportunity.
3B: Valencia - Down sophmore campaign but showed why is so highly regarded. Needs consistency.
UT: L.Hughes - Decent defense that will improve. Xcellent bat and will improve average with solid veterans around him.

LF: Revere - Arm a concern but makes up for it with great speed and range. Bat will improve as he adjusts.
CF: Span - Will return to form.
RF/DH/1B: Cuddyer - Versatile. Leader. Solid arm. Good bat. Clubhouse presence.
OF: Tosoni: solid all around, needs improvement. Should be at this level to continue development.
OF: Benson: ROCK Star in the making.

There are a couple guys on the fringe, outside looking in right now, but will become the new call ups. Guys like Parmalee, Dinkleman, & Hicks. All of the above guys are also subject to change based on any MUCH needed acquisitions and/or trades.

As far as the pitching staff goes there are only a few guys that should be locks or that give us decent depth:

SP: Pavano - Bulldog and innings eater. NOT an ace but will help solidify a rotation.
SP: Blackburn - Numerous medical issues last 2 seasons. Needs medical advice and improved training regimen in offseason.
SP: Baker - Similiar to Blackburn. Slightly ahead due to experience and proven worth.

RP: Nathan - Career Twins saves leader. Proved in 2011 recovered from Tommy John. Look for good 2012!
RP: Burnett - Becoming solid middle relief guy. Still improving.
RP: Duensing - Back where he belongs and is consistent & effective.
RP: Swarzak - Similiar in development to Burnett but nore versatile. Can spot start and/ or long relief.
RP: Slama - Ready for spot if he can return from injury and continue development.
RP: Gutierrez - It is time.
RP: Waldrop - Worth a long look.
RP: Perkins - Bounce back year. He needed it bad! Needs to show it wasnt a fluke though. Worth keeping for now.
RP: Dumatrait - Needs more time. Worth a look. Showed some good things.
RP: Diamond - Let Rob Delaney go to keep him. Better deliver and sooon.

Now for the guys that have outlived their usefulness in a Twins uniform, to say the least. This is not to say this is all inclusive trade list. There are a couple above if the right deal was available that could be moved, mostly younger guys:

UT:Tolbert - Offers nothing, no offense and average at best defense. better guys behind him that are ready.
SS/2B:Nishioka - One of MANY POOR acquisitions/decisions by the incompetent Bill Smith.
OF/DH: Kubel: Good guy, decent contributor. Career underachiever that plays to about 65% of his contract. Too expensive for what he offers a team. No versatility. Average at best defense, yet still an attractive trade asset for many teams.
OF: Repko - Decent Defense. Decent Arm. No offense. No versatility. Spot better suited to a young guy ready to step up. Could be small part of a trade package.
RP: Capps - Way too expensive. Way too overrated. Trade bait. Would be a good fit on a team needing strong mid to late inning relief from a veteran leader.
RP: Mijares - Too many chances, too few results. A dissapointment.
RP: Hoey - Bye
RP: Hughes - Trade bait. Not good. Inconsistent. Better arms ahead of him. Might have a chance elsewhere.
RP: James - Not interested. Bye.
SP: Slowey - Whined his way out of a job. Not a team player. No heart. Good stuff but inconsistent with poor mental make up.

I feel like there is a name or two I am forgetting. Tough doing it all from memory and on a cell phone. No computer. No media guides, no stat crunching, just my memory and opinion.

The biggest move the Twins have left to make to get the ball rolling on a successful 2012 season is to FIRE BILL SMITH!!

Twins No Hitter - 1st Since '99

Nobody is disputing the fact that the early part of the Minnesota Twins 2011 season has been a stinker, and that is putting it mildly. A lot of things have played into the early season slump or if you prefer meltdown.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who now definitely appears to be locked in at shortsop when he returns, has been out almost all season after breaking his leg against the Yankees trying to turn a double play. Justin Morneau missed some games with the flu and other ailments. Joe Mauer has also been out the majority of this early season with what was reported as the flu and leg weakness. He was placed on the DL and is eligible to return but yet he remains out of the picture. Kevin Slowey has missed time with shoulder issues and appears to be ready to return to a full schedule. Then there is Delmon Young, and I don't even know what to say here?

With all this going on the Twins worked themselves into the worst record in baseball. They just came off back to back beat downs by the Rays & Royals. It's not to say injuries were the sole reason because ooohhh nooooo, there is much more going on than just injuries. There have been numerous uncharacteristic defensive lapses, baserunning gaffes, hitting has been inconsistent and the starting pitching has been horrendous.

Ron Gardenhire recently called a team meeting to light a fire under a team lacking effort, passion, & focus. The question was did the team get the message and would they take it to heart? Changes are inevitable at this point, it is just a matter of who and when? It is extremely obvious that Bill Smith will do nothing to help this team improve after a puzzling offseason, he again is nowhere to be seen or heard. He takes no responsibility, even though he continues to refuse to find those elusive 1 or 2 players the team has been lacking for 4-5 years now. That means it is up to Gardy and the "men" on the team.

Well last night an unexpected hero emerged. Francisco Liriano, the softspoken phenom who returned from Tommy John surgery in 2009 and started to show signs of his old self in 2010, threw a no hitter. This is an awesome feat under any circumstances and very hard to accomplish no matter who the pitcher. Throw in the fact that Liriano typically wears down in the 6th or 7th inning, lacks confidence and has never even thrown a complete game and WOW!

This was also the first no hitter for a Twins pitcher since Eric Milton in '99 against the Angels. One that media members at the time discounted saying it didn't really count because the Angels didn't put out their "A" lineup, even though it was superior to the Twins lineup at the time. A rediculous assertion since no other MLB stat was discounted by who a team played or what lineup they fielded. Based on that assertion David Wells perfect game against the Twins wouldn't count because the Twins didn't have a competitive lineup. REDICULOUS! These accomplishments are difficult and impressive no matter when you play a team or who they field. It is the big stage and very hard to do! For it to happen against the hated White Sux in a 1-0 victory after this difficult start makes it even sweeter.

Hopefully this is the spark the team needs to get going and turn the corner towards a successful season. It is time for a leader(s) to emerge on this team and hold people accountable. It is also time for Bill Smith to join the fun and be accountable for this fiasco his lack of leadership and laziness has created. Go out and get the missing pieces now before it is too late. We are already behind the eight ball. Do your part Willy!

Mn Twins & The Bronx Bummers

Before Tuesdays game against the Yankees the Twins had only won 4 of the previous 30 games played at the overpriced and dissapointing Yankee stadium. No matter the situation they just couldn't find a way to win. This was no more evident than in last years playoff series where the Twins were swept away handily. To say they looked like they were going through the motions would be generous.

The Twins lost game 1 of the series in the first meeting of 2011 and it appeared the trend would continue for the forseeable future. Then something happened in the 2nd game of the series and the 5th game of the 2011 season. The Twins were down 4-0 early to the Bronx Bummers and were staring inevitability in the face. Twin Cities Media members were whining so hard you had to look over your shoulder to see if their moms were going to show up and begin breast feeding. You would think they actually paid for their tickets or had something invested like I don' t know, a fan! However nothing could be further from the truth, they were simply complaining and driving everyone into a frenzy as part of self promotion tour 2011, otherwise known as the entitlement tour for the spoon fed crowd. The Twins however don't pay attention to the sniveling douchebags and went out and played baseball. It was easily the most exciting game of this early season as they rebounded to win 5-4 in 10 innings.

Game 3 on Wednesday was rained out and there are 2 ways to look at that, the first is and I have no doubt this is the road our local "journalists" will take and that is game 2 was an anomaly or the rain out stopped the momentum. The 2nd path is that game 2 showed our boys that they can win in NY, that this Yankee team is not that good and the Yankee ghosts remain at old Yankee Stadium. If they go out and play their game they can play with & beat anyone. The rain out washed away the demons of Yankee games past.

The Twins and Yankees play the rubber game and getaway game of the series today. All they have to do is clear their heads and leave it on the field, if they do that they have a chance of winning today and everyday. I don' t know what will happen but this season has just started and I am optimistic that good times are ahead in 2011 with only 5 games down and 157 to go, a win today and a 3-3 start all on the road would be a great beginning to what hopefully will be a historic season. Many media members are already down on the Twins after 5 whole games, road games at that and based on their logic must be proclaiming KC as favorites to win it all since they are 4-1 and on top of the division. Really?

Season 2 at Target Field (#thebullseye) finally begins this weekend with temps projected to be in the 60's-70's. Enjoy the ride and the entertainment, it is a long season. Don't start thinking playoffs already, winter will be here soon enough.

Let's Play Ball!!

Twins Opening Day 2011

Woke up this morning kind of conflicted. As I look out the window there are still hints of winter and there is a cold dampness in the air, but then I think wait a minute today is Opening day for the Twins and life is good. The Twins start the season on the road tonight in Toronto against the Blue Jays. One positive and something the Twins haven't been able to say going back to prior to the 2010 season opener is that they are 100% healthy. Everyone is back and expected to play tonight without exception.

Joe Nathan has fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and is on the road to being his old self. He may not be quite there physically but he is close and he has been working hard to get into game shape. The biggest hurdle for Nathan will be mental and trusting that his arm is actually stronger than it was before, he needs to avoid trying to overthrow or being too cautious. If he stays within himself everything should be fine. If the everyday grind gets to be too much too fast, well Matt Capps is always available to spell him when needed. While not a Joe Nathan he proved himself to be a very capable and effective closer for the Twins in 2010.

Justin Morneau is also back from the concussion he suffered last July sliding into 2nd base. He has been cleared to play by doctors and by all accounts was very effective in spring training, frequently knocking the stuffing out of the ball. Again with Justin it will be mostly mental and getting over the hurdle of potentially being hit in the head again. Having had multiple concussions myself I know it is a long and difficult process. You dont feel at all like yourself, things are foggy and you feel like everything is in slow motion, it can be difficult to focus and it is easy to lose a train of thought. For a baseball player with a ball being hurdled at you at 80+ MPH that is not a good combination. Justin will be wearing a new helmet with added protection that is rated to withstand a harder impact than the standard helmet worn by most players. In addition MLB just mandated baseline testing and the availability of a 7 day DL for concussions so they are finally taking it seriously. That way if he has a doubt or a minor setback he has options rather than being forced onto a long term DL.

As for Joe Mauer, everyone relax, he is fine. The media was blowing things out of proportion because of who Joe is (not that they would ever do that to promote themselves). Joe had a minor procedure to clean out his knee and is fully recovered. Due to the nature of his job and having to bend and be in a crouched position or on his knees frequently, it was done to relieve discomfort and help him be more effective. Now that Drew Butera has emerged as a solid defensive #2 catcher it will also be easier to spell Joe on occassion, either giving him a day off or DH'ing so his knees get a break.

With everyone healthy and some other important pieces back, 2011 figures to be a fun season for Twins fans. Once again everyone is picking either the Tigers or White Sox to win the division because of big name acquisitions. There is no doubt it will be a heated division race but the Twins are still the team to beat and are always there in September. A big name does not always translate to chemistry and success. As we have seen the last few seasons both the opposing teams seem to lack chemistry and have issues fighting through adversity, and the White Sox in particular are more likely to fight each other.

We're gonna win Twins!!

Twins Opening Day Lineup

It appears that the Twins Opening Day lineup has been set barring injuries, trades or other unforeseen developments. Phil Mackey (@pmac21) of @1500espn fame recently tweeted that Luke Hughes and Jim Hoey are being optioned to AAA Rochester meaning the final positions have been settled, with the lone exception being a final determination on rule V pickup Scott Diamond. The Twins are very high on Diamond, but Gardy was quoted as saying he just hadn't seen enough of him to take him north. If they don't they would have to return him to the Atlanta Braves unless something could be worked out.

So as it stands right now, assuming Glenn Perkins makes the roster and Diamond is returned to ATL or optioned to Rochester after a deal is worked out, the opening day roster looks like this:

Starting Lineup-

CF: Denard Span
2B: Tsuyoshi Nishioka
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Justin Morneau
DH: Jim Thome
LF: Delmon Young
RF: Michael Cuddyer
3B: Danny Valencia
SS: Alexi Casilla

WOW!!

Bench Players-

DH/OF: Jason Kubel
C: Drew Butera
OF: Jason Repko
INF: Matt Tolbert

Starting Rotation -

SP: Carl Pavano
SP: Francisco Liriano
SP: Nick Blackburn
SP: Scott Baker
SP: Brian Duensing

Bullpen:

Closer: Joe Nathan
Set-Up: Matt Capps (could close)
LHP: Jose Mijares
RHP: Jeff Manship
LHP: Dusty Hughes
LHP: Glenn Perkins
RHP: Kevin Slowey (spot starter)


All in all the roster is pretty solid. The only real questions are utility infileder Matt Tolbert who was pushed hard by Luke Hughes, but if Tolbert fails Hughes is a solid option as well as Trevor Plouffe, assuming Plouffe can go down and get back on track. Also LHP Glenn Perkins who apparently had a decent spring but Perkins needs a solid rebound season or will be gone by the All- Star Game. The Twins figure to be active at some point this year depending on how things play out and god forbid any unforeseen injuries. They need one or two players to get over the hump in the playoffs and several players are at the end of their Twins life cycle or have tested the Twins patience one too many times. I think there will be a few pleasant surprises this year and the roster does not have many wink links, so look for good things from the Twins and a nice Al Central battle with the White Sox and Tigers.

Twins Rotation Finalized

Ron Gardenhire made it official this morning in Ft. Myers that the Twins fifth starter to begin the 2011 season is Scott Baker. It' s not a big surprise for several reasons, the first is Gardy likes Baker and has been a little down on Slowey for his lack of consistency and improvement. Secondly Baker has more experience and can help solidify the rotation. Whoever was selected though should be looking over their shoulder as Kyle Gibson is ready to make the jump to the major leagues and will be pitching for the Twins sooner rather than later.

In fact spring training should be a wake up call for the entire pitching staff as several young arms are ready to make the jump, besides Gibson there is Carlos Gutierrez and Kyle Waldrop who are both relievers that performed well. Expectations for some young guns and the anticipation of being active probably contributed to the Twins not making efforts to retain Crain, Guerrier, Rauch and Fuentes.

The Twins also waived Pat Neshek who was claimed by the San Diego Padres over the weekend. With the emergence of the young arms, some young guys in the system who have already been up and down to the majors and recently acquired arms Dusty Hughes, Jim Hoey, Eric Hacker, and Scott Diamond apparently there was no spot for Neshek, even with an option year remaining. With the loss of Neshek the Twims 40 man roster dropped to 39 leaving a spot available for a young player, a trade, or a waiver claim if awarded. The Twins have indicated they have no immediate plans to fill the spot leading to speculation that they are working a deal or have their eyes set on someone in the near term.

Whatever the result look for the Twins to be very active in 2011 on the trade market as they have a dearth of players at the backend of their Twins life cycle with younger guys pushing them out the door. Also the fact remains that the Twins are 1 or 2 players from getting over that hump in the playoffs. Bill Smith has been relatively quiet with the exception of a few lower tier moves expect that to pick up soon.

Twins Waive Pat Neshek

The Minnesota Twins waived Pat Neshek clearing a spot on the 40 man roster. Neshek had 1 more option year available but the Twins opted to waive him. He was immediately claimed by the San Diego Padres. This was confirmed by Neshek as he tweeted he was claimed and packing his bags to head West. No further information available.

Signs Of Spring & Opening Day

Well after a long hard winter at least in terms of recent history, must be global warming, it appears spring is finally here. Most of this years snow pack is gone, temps will be in the 50's all weekend and all the talk is either about flooding or baseball. We'll stick to baseball since it is less stressful and more fun to follow.

Spring training has been under way for several weeks now and the Twins made their first cuts of camp already last Monday from 59 to 45 players. Another 4 players were optioned or reassigned to minor league camp today including OF Ben Revere who is likely to see action with the big league club this season. Revere had a very positive attitude about the situation tweeting he had to go down and work his a** off to get back up and play with the guys.

All the snow is long gone from Target Field thanks to heating coils underneath, the tarp is off and the field was mowed yesterday for the first time. Ahh the smell of fresh cut grass in the spring, doesnt get any better than that.

Today also marked the availability of single game tickets for the first time this year as they went on sale within an hour of this posting. Tickets are available at Target Field, by phone or www.twinsbaseball.com.

Time for those words which are music to my ears....Play ball!!

Twins Spring Training Decision Time

The Twins on Monday whittled their roster from 59 down to 45 players. Most of which never had a realistic chance of making the team, at least for this year. One exception to that in the first round of cuts is pitcher Kyle Gibson who is ready to make the jump to the major leagues. The starting rotation at this time is very crowded however and the Twins have decisions to make regarding the future of those players. The 2 starters on the bubble right now are Scott Baker, who at one point was at the top of the rotation, and Kevin Slowey who has battled inconsistency throughout his career.

Baker has had some injury concerns of late and he has yet to regain his form, when healthy he is consistent and dependable but not overpowering. Slowey on the other hand has good stuff but has never been able to harness it and pitch within himself, and it is believed he has been a dissapointment to manager Ron Gardenhire. Slowey at the beginning of spring training was believed to be the odd man out with his best hope being a move to the bullpen. In fact in recent weeks he has been the subject of trade rumors, with Toronto believed to be an interested suitor.

This spring however Slowey has had good command and has impressed, making the final starting position a difficult decision or helping his trade value depending on the Twins outlook for his future. Once these final decisions are made, it doesn't get any easier for the survivor and the rest of the staff because Kyle Gibson will be pushing them and is all but guaranteed a call up in 2011.

The tough decisions do not stop there either as the competition for the bullpen is very crowded and likely to go down to the wire. One of the odd men out in that battle appears to be veteran LHP Glenn Perkins who is out of options. With recent trades and fellow LHP Dusty Hughes being acquired on waivers from KC his days appear to be numbered. He has been in the Twins doghouse the last couple seasons and really has done nothing to redeem himself or make their decision difficult.

One final area on the team where a battle appears to be heating up is the middle infield. Luke Hughes has been knocking the stuffing out of the ball and has been very serviceable in the field. While it appears that the starting SS will be Tsuyoshi Nishioka and 2nd Alexi Casilla, both are relatively unproven commodities with Casilla yet to show he can be consistent. That leads to the need for depth and with Matt Tolbert the penciled in utility infielder, confidence is not high. Tolbert has had his moments but he is not exactly running out of tape on his highlight reel. Additionally his strength with a bat leaves a lot to be desired which reduces bench options for late inning situations. This brings us back to Hughes maybe having played himself onto the opening day 25 man roster. Tolbert does have an option year left making that decision even easier as there is no risk of losing him this season if his services are needed later.

Many roster cuts remain and there could end up being even more surprises including the potential for trades. With players down to their last option year, out of options, potential contract issues on the horizon, and younger guys ready to step up and claim jobs, 2011 could prove to be an active year for the Twins.

Joe Mauer Sighting in Ft. Myers

As the Twins prepare to play Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals there was a strange sighting, Joe Mauer was reported to have caught the bullpen session for Nick Blackburn. Not as farfetched as a UFO sighting or alien abduction but a rare event nonetheless.

So far this spring Mauer has been taking it easy while rehabilitating his surgically cleaned up knee. Mauer appeared fine and stated there was never any doubt he would be ready opening day. That is music to the ears of Twins fans, this one included. A healthy Mauer, Morneau and Nathan are vital to a successful Twins run this year. With opening day about 4 weeks away it is time to start ramping things up soon.

Will be nice to start seeing rosters whittled down and the players coming north starting to play together. Ready for round 2 at Target Field!

Twins 2011 Roster: Already Set or Changes Coming.....

After the 2010 Twins season there were many questions and changes were on the horizon. As we head into 2011 many questions have been answered and changes have been made. There are still a couple health related questions but here is how we stand with remaining questions:

Starting Pitching-

Carl Pavano-appeared to be on way out after 2010 due to salary but signed multi year deal.
Francisco Liriano-Health issues appear gone. Was Twins target for multi year deal. Wanted 3/$36 mil. Signed 1 yr/$4mil+. Trade Speculation with Yankees.
Nick Blackburn-Appears healthy amd return to form appears imminent.
Brian Duensing-Split 2010 in bullpen and rotation. Gardy says rotation locked for 2011. Durability?
Scott Baker-Injury Concerns. Consistency Concerns.
Kevin Slowey-Trade speculation with Toronto as most often mentioned. Has not developed as hoped. Could be pen option.
Kyle Gibson- Nasty stuff!! Figures to take someones job after starting in AAA.

Bullpen-

Joe Nathan-Coming off Tommy John surgery. All Spring Training reports positive. Has good mental makeup.
Matt Capps-Solid setup man could close if Nathan has set back.
Jose Mijares-Good set up/mid inning lefty. Mental makeup needs tuning.
Glenn Perkins- Last hope in Twins career is as mid inning lefty. Possible long relief on occasion. Mentally?
Jeff Manship-Solid. Reliable. Good mental make up. Not a lot of experience. Needs to be on not dominating.
Scott Diamond-Rule V pick up end of 2010 season. Solid. Has a chance to stick.
Alex Burnett- Inexperienced. Control issues go with confidence. Will get call ups probably starts at AAA.
Pat Neshek-Needs to rebound from injuries. Velocity down. Mental make up questioned and in Gardys doghouse. Nasty when healthy.
Anthony Swarzak-inexperienced. Needs to be on. Not overpowering. Probably AAA.
Anthony Slama- Recently hurt. Sometimes pitches out of control. Awesome stuff. Needs to pitch smarter. AAA.
Eric Hacker- Question mark. Probably minors.
Jim Hoey-Seems to be solid pickup. Could make opening day. Inexperienced.
Dusty Hughes- LHP waiver claim from KC. Gave up on Rob Delaney lost to Tampa. Could make pen. Need solid lefty.
Deolis Guerra-Last Santana trade asset remaining. Huge upside!! No chance for opening day but sooooon.

Lots of pen options with nothing certain. A trade of Slowey and/or Liriano would probably solidify question marks. Lost Rauch, Guerrier & Crain to free agency as well as end of year rental players from 2010 push.

1B-Justin Morneau-Appears to be ready to return.
2B-Tsuyoshi Nishioka-Great D in spring training. Lots of speed. More comfortable here than SS. Still adjusting to US.
SS-Alexi Casilla-If he stays is up to him. More than likely last chance. Other options below.
3B-Danny Valencia-Solid rookie campaign. Great D. Nice bat. A little more power would help. Still developing.
RF- Michael Cuddyer-Versatile.Leader. Strong arm. Decent bat and delivers. Aging.1B insurance.
CF- Denard Span- Great leadoff hitter. Sees a lot of pitches. Decent bat. Off year 2010. Needs consistency. Speedy.
LF- Delmon Young- Awful D. Breakthrough 2010 with bat. Needs to follow it up. Need defesnive option to platoon.
C-Joe Mauer- Enough said. Needs to recover from minor knee cleanup.
DH-Jim Thome- Resurgent 2010. Repeat would be nice. Going for HR 600.
Util-Matt Tolbert - No bat. Speedy. Good D. Not here for long.
OF UTIL- Jason Repko -Good speed. Good D. Bat ok with more reps. Defensive option to DYoung.
OF UTIL- Ben Revere-Speedy. Developing bat. So so arm. Amazing defensive range and good glove.
BU C - Drew Butera-Calls good game. Throws out runners. Good defensively. Ok bat for #2 C.
DH/OF - Jason Kubel - Decent power. Inconsistent hitter. Has not produced in big games. Defensively average at best. Expensive for results.

Options:

INF - Luke Hughes, Trevor Plouffe, Chris Parmalee, David Winfree, Brock Peterson, Justin Huber, Brian Dinkleman
OF - Aaron Hicks, Rene Tosoni, Joe Benson
C- Danny Lehmann

Roster is getting top heavy without advancing. Trades may become inevitable. Other guys ready to step up and minors could use replenishing, not a lot of major league talent ready.

Tradeable assets: DYoung (defensive liability, inconsistent offense, trade value at its highest now, expensive and going up).
JKubel (inconsistent, big game bust, limited D, expensive).
Cuddy (should be extended not traded. See above. Career Twin.).
GPerkins (LHP can start or relieve, out of options, worn out welcome).
ASwarzak (Decent YOUNG reliever, we have enough in this mold).
MTolbert (Young, good D, Speed, no future in Minny).
ACasilla (Young speedy infielder with upside. Needs fresh start. Other better options available).

All of the above are the opinions of Bleacher View and not the Minnesota Twins although they should be.

We're Gonna Win Twins!!

Starting Pitching Asset or Dilemma?

As Spring Training continues for the Twins in Ft. Myers one big question appears to be what to do with the starting pitching. Carl Pavano who re-signed during the off season has already been annointed as the Opening Day Starter by Manager Ron Gardenhire. After that while there are decent arms behind Pavanao there are even more questions.

Let's start with the number 2 pitcher, Francisco Liriano, who started last seasons playoff series against the NY Yankees. Liriano who was arbitration eligible in the off season was a target of the Twins for a long term contract as he appears to have put his Tommy John surgery behind him. Negotiations never really got off the ground however as Liriano and his agent were reportedly looking for a 3 yr deal in the $36 mil range. Liriano ended up signing a 1 yr deal for $4 mil + and has been the subject of trade speculation since his contract demands became public. Many people have him eventually being dealt to the Yankees as they are in dire need of starters after losing out in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes and the retirement of Andy Pettite.

The 3rd and 4th positions have been locked down according to Manager Ron Gardenhire although the order has yet to be established. Brian Duensing who last year split time between the pen and the rotation with equal effectiveness and at times dominance is one candidate. Duensing does however have durability concerns as he has spent the majority of the last couple years in relief and has not been stretched out for an entire season. Additionally he appeared to tire and melt down in his only post season appearance against the Yankees. Nick Blackburn who has shown when healthy that he can control a game and has been a big game pitcher in the past for the Twins is also a lock. Blackburn was injured the 2nd half of last year which resulted in reduced effectiveness and a mid season demotion to the minors. His injuries were treated over the winter and he appears to be the Blackburn of old down in Ft. Myers.

That leaves Scott Baker who not that long ago was at the top of the rotation and Kevin Slowey. Baker appears to have the inside track to the final spot if he can overcome his injuries and get back on track. Slowey who has battled injuries and inconsistency the last couple seasons has just not developed into the kind of pitcher he has the potential to be and that Gardy expects him to be at this point in his career. In fact in recent days Slowey has also been the target of trade speculation with the loudest rumors indicating a possible destination of Toronto, although this is NOT confirmed.

Pushing everyone although likely to start the season at AAA Rochester is Kyle Gibson. Gibson who was a late 1st round steal for the Twins a couple years back after falling in the draft due to injury concerns appears to be healthy and at times has nasty stuff. Gibson split time last season between AA and AAA and is ready to make the jump.

However things shake out it appears as if it will be an interesting end to Spring Training and the start of the regular season. Too much starting pitching is not something most teams have to worry about and gives the team some options as the season progresses.

50th Season Legends Game

As the 2011 season inches closer I was pondering the inaugural season at Target Field. One of my personal favorite moments was the Legends Game on Sept. 5th before the Twins took on the Rangers.

One of the more interesting facts was that Rangers Manager Ron Washington, a former Twins player in the 1980's, suited up in a Twins uniform to participate. Of course once the fun was over he went back to the dark side.

The funniest moment of the day though was when Twins Legend Kent Hrbek while playing 1st base and & attempting to field a foul ball fell to the ground and took a substantial chunk out of the new turf at Target Field. He was immediately tended to by the celebrity umpiring crew, drawing a large laugh & round of applause from those in attendance who were happy to see Herbie in action once again.

Finally it was an immense pleasure to see Harmon "The Killer" Killebrew in a Twins uniform. He was limited in activity but was definitely part of the festivities. Thoughts and prayers go out to Harmon and his family as he continues to deal with cancer. Hope to see you back at Target Field soon.

Target Field Part Deux

How is it possible that the Inaugural Season of Target Field and 50th Season of Twins Baseball in Minnesota is already behind us? One thing for certain, it was a great season with alot of great memories.

The Metrodome gave us many memories as well including 2 World Series Championships, but that is about all that can be said about the dome. Target Field already has a division championship and 3 million plus attendance mark under its belt, only the 2nd time that has been achieved by the Twins in 50 years. It is baseball the way it was meant to be played and watched. Last year Sports Illustrated named Target Field the #1 venue in all professional sports for gameday fan experience. That is one thing that could never be said about the dome.

Season 2 at The Bullseye (still hasn't caught on) is about to get under way next month and Spring Training is already in full swing down in Ft. Myers. Expectations are high after back to back division championships, the return of Joe Nathan & Justin Morneau and another year of experience for the younger guys on the team. The team has already sold the equivalent of 25k full season tickets which over 81 home games equals 2,000,000+ tickets already sold and the gates are not even open for Opening Day.

Changes have already begun at Target Field as well. There is a 2nd large scoreboard, this one in right field near the overlook as well as a tower which will have game info and scores. The spruce trees in straightaway centerfield are gone to improve the batters eye, making it easier for hitters to pick up the ball. There are other changes as well including uniforms with the return of the road alternate blue bearing Minnesota in script similiar to that on the new road jersey unveiled last season. Also last seasons alternate cream throwback jersey was so popular it is now part of the regular jersey rotation and should be for the forseeable future.

Baseball is a long season and many things can happen over 162 games but I am looking forward to each and every one.

We're Gonna Win Twins!!